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A holiday that revolves around staying up way past midnight? For toddlers and preschoolers, that’s a one-way ticket to Meltdownville. But just because your honey's bedtime is on the early side doesn’t mean she needs to miss all the fun. With these creative New Year’s Eve ideas for kids, you can bump up the festivities to the daylight hours and have aparty that everyone will enjoy.

Explain the day

Little kids can’t really grasp the abstract concept of time, which makes explaining New Year’s Eve a challenge — your tot doesn’t even know what a year is. You can use a calendar, though, to turn time in to something more concrete and comprehensible. Say, “Our calendar is all done now because the year is ending. We’re celebrating that we get to start a new calendar tomorrow.” Another tactic: Talka bout some of your child’s new beginnings, like starting preschool or moving to a new house, and explain that New Year’s Eve is a special time when you say good-bye to the old year so you can get a fresh start on the new one.

Make a wishes tree

Nothing signifies a fresh start more than resolutions — and they don’t all have to be about getting more exercise and eating less chocolate. For kid-friendlier resolutions, try this New Year’s Eve craft for kids: Cut a branch from a tree in your yard (or from your Christmas tree) and put it in a plasticvase or glass. Then help your tot come up with goals for the upcoming year —everything from the serious (“I want to learn to write my name”) to the silly(“I want to wear two different socks to school”). Write each wish on colored paper, punch a hole in it, and then tie it with string to your tree. After the holidays, have your tot pick one wish both of you can help make happen, like “I want to spend more time with Grandma.” Post your resolutions on the fridge so you can remember to turn them into reality this year.

Have a ball

You can’t ring in the new without a party, and these New Year’s Eve ideas for kids will guarantee everyone has ablast at your bash.

For toddlers: Every pint-sized reveler needs a crown for the New Year's Eve celebration. First, cut two three-inch-wide strips of colored paper and staple them together into a circle that fits snugly around your sweetie’s head. Then let her raid the craft box and help her stick on stickers, Japanese washi tape, tinfoil, foam cut outs, and feathers to turn her head gear into something super-festive.

For preschoolers: What’s a celebration without confetti? Sit your preschooler at the table with a stack of colored paper and a hole punch. Once she’s collected a small pile of confetti, help her scrape the pile into a paper bag she’s already colored and decorated. Let her gently blow the bag up like a balloon, and then tie it off with string.

For the whole family: Now that you have crowns and confetti, you’re ready for your slightly-earlier-than-normal party. Put on some kid-friendly tunes, boogie together, then start your count down at 15 seconds to 6 p.m. When the clock strikes six, shout “Happy New Year!” and break open the confetti bag. For a more festive fete: Blow up balloons beforehand, stow them in a garbage bag, and then release them into the room when the clock chimes. Your mini merry maker can bat them around until it’s time to get ready for bed. (If a balloon pops, clean up the pieces immediately — balloon bits are a choking hazard for tots.)

Raise a (plastic) glass

Champagne won’t be on the table, but your cutie will love clinking glasses with a kid-friendly mocktail made of equal parts white grape juice and seltzer. Ask your tot to come up with a one-word toast that describes what she wants to happen next year, like “happiness” or “fun” or “cuddles.”

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